


Like a Habit

by YouCouldHaveMine (Original_Cypher)



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, caution: includes personal headcanon for soft morning boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 06:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30118575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Original_Cypher/pseuds/YouCouldHaveMine
Summary: No, but seriously, though. Eddie is being weird today.It’s not like he’s usually mean or anything. But he’s been, like, extra nice?
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 432
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	Like a Habit

Buck blinks at the mug that hovers in front of his face. He follows up the arm that offers it to find Eddie, eyebrow raised, looking expectant. “Uh, thanks. For me?” He fumbles to take the cup.

Eddie huffs. “Nah, man. I was just holding it out to you, I made it for Chim.”

Buck chuckles. Right. Stupid question. “Thank you.” The bench creaks faintly when Eddie sits down on his left. “You didn’t have to.”

Eddie’s smile is strange. His hands are wrapped around his own cup. “I know.”

Buck gets trapped in that gaze. It’s… Well, it’s _familiar_ , for sure, cause it’s Eddie. But there’s a weird quality to it that Buck can’t parse. Is it… inquisitive? Is that trepidation he senses? Or is that confusion? Or do those come from him? Eventually, Eddie blinks and looks away. He seems… what? Embarrassed? Awkward? about their weird staring contest. Eddie drinks from his mug, looking safely at the rest of the team who’ve been hanging about, oblivious to the strange atmosphere. Buck racks his brain for something that could look like uncomfortable _and_ pleased at the same.

He takes a cautious sip, mindful of the temperature, and blinks in surprise when he tastes the maple syrup. Eddie never remembers the maple syrup. He grins to himself. Glancing aside, he finds Eddie still looking elsewhere, but wearing a particularly smug look. Buck frowns back at his drink. Hold on. He turns back to Eddie and narrows his eyes even more. “You _always_ remember the maple,” he accuses. “You’ve just been fucking with me.” For _ages_!

Eddie cracks up, just as Bobby pipes up a reflexive “Language.”

“Sorry, _Cap_.”

Chim snickers quietly.

Yes. Someday, Bobby is going to figure out they’re making a Steve Rogers joke when they respond that way. But today is not that day.

* * *

“In the end, I just put all of my hoodies up on hangers because I just couldn’t stand any. more. folding,” Buck retells, sounding harassed.

“I hear ya,” Hen sighs. “So many tiny squares and rectangles, when I get to our clothes, all I wanna do is shove them away from my sight.” She shrugs. “Luckily, Karen is a patient and lovely woman and usually stops me to take over before I start considering Konmariing the whole thing out the window.” Hen smiles. “Which she did last night in exchange with me taking bath time.”

“Lucky you.”

“What about you, Eddie?” Hen eyes him. “You also spent yesterday in the land of laundry?”

Buck and Chim eye each other. They stayed on shift eight hours later then the other halves of their duos, so they don’t have much to contribute. By the time Buck had made it to movie night at Eddie's, it had been about an hour past Christopher’s bedtime. He’d gone in, drawn a heart on the boy’s hand with kid’s marker so he’d know he’d been visited, and had fallen face first into the thai food Eddie had saved for him.

“Ah, no. I’m between loads right now and ignoring the problem until it never goes away.” Eddie grins when they chuckle in response. “Christopher and I did a crossword puzzle.”

Chim snorts. “Okay, old man.”

“We _made_ one.”

Buck sits up. He hadn’t known this. “He’s still doing that? A new one?”

Eddie shakes his head. “No. The same. I helped a bit. He wanted to start over and make it bigger.” He gestures vaguely. “We did that. Felt a bit like arts and crafts at some point. I’m not sure how I ended up with glue in my hair, _but_ …” he makes a face. “I know it wasn’t me who put a sticker on the back of my shirt.”

Hen snorts. “The hazards of collages.”

Buck makes a wounded sound. “He let you help... He didn’t want me to.” He stares forlornly at his own shoes. He’s aware he’s being ridiculous, but he’d never been pushed away by Christopher before. It had come entirely unexpected. Even when Chris doesn’t want help with something, he's always excited to tell him about whatever he's doing. Buck is still getting over the sting, is all.

“Aw, Buckaroo,” Hen coos. “You’re gonna get used to it, boo. Kids throw _curveballs_.”

Buck hears a snort. He looks up when Eddie’s shoe taps the side of his to find the man smiling at him. “Before you get all maudlin on us, Buck. Considering the amount of inside jokes in there, I’m pretty sure he didn’t want you to help because he’s making it _for_ you.”

Buck’s heart trips a little in his chest, something warm blooming inside of him. “.... oh.” _Oh_ . He knows he’s blushing. Aw. _Christopher_.

And Eddie. Judging by the way he’s watching Buck, eyes clear and smile crooked, he knows exactly what this does to Buck.

“Gross,” Chim mumbles.

* * *

No, but seriously, though. Eddie is being weird today.

It’s not like he’s usually mean or anything. But he’s been, like, extra nice? In the most random ways. Or just… 

Okay. So… Buck knows how much he interacts and seeks out Eddie every day. Right? They’re partners. Even when they’re not actively paired up on the job, they constantly have something to chat about. If they’re not together outside of work, they’d probably be able to tell what the other is doing - that part, sadly, is mostly down to the fact that they don’t have a life…. 

But Buck’s found himself more acutely aware of it today. When they turn to each other, do they always meet each other’s eyes like that? Buck can’t tell. He’s never really paid attention? Why does it suddenly stand out today? … _Does_ it suddenly stand out today? Is it because Eddie’s still looking at him with that weird _something_ that Buck still doesn’t recognize, or understand?

It doesn’t look bad, at least. That much is clear.

When Eddie’s mad, he looks _away_ . Or he just pins you with a glare and _boy_ , those are hard to misinterpret. Today, it’s been more… expectant. Or soft and serene. Or the faintest quirk of Eddie’s lips on one side, like they’re sharing a joke Buck can’t remember. _Oh_. 

_Or._

Like he knows something Buck doesn’t.

That’s it! That _must_ be it.

But what could it be? Again, it doesn’t seem _bad_. There’s nothing coming up, is there? It’s not his birthday for half a year. He doesn’t have… He’s not forgotten some kind of ceremony or work anniversary, has he? He’d never have imagined Eddie would suck so much at hiding a surprise party. That can’t be something like that, right?

But then there are the moments when Buck laughs or says something to Eddie, or just looks back and he seems flustered like… like he’s aware he’s been giving away something and what the hell is Buck missing here?

And there are all the little things. It has to be _about_ Buck, doesn’t it? It’s not a shared joke, it’s got to be something to celebrate that he’s not remembering. What, is it his name’s day today? The anniversary of the day they met? Or when they got that grenade out of the guy’s leg? What would make Eddie make his coffee just the way he likes it, all of a sudden? Why stop messing with him today of all days? Or get him a slice of pie on his dessert run earlier? Or shove him into the good armchair, even if he got to it first? Or suggest pizza, even though Buck usually has to bargain for it? Or give him the epic shoulder massage? -- It is, as previously stated, _epic_ , but also ruins the kneader’s hands. It is therefore a very special, _you’ve had a rough day_ or _you’re cashing in a favor,_ rare kind of event.

One of those things happening would be Eddie being himself. He’s a lovely guy. All of those together, however, add up to feel… suspect.

Buck’s starting to think he’s being lulled into a false sense of security.

And then it happens.

* * *

They’re restocking the firetruck while Hen and Chim are doing the same for the ambulance. Eddie and Chim have been engaged in a slow, tug-of-war style, battle over the trolley of stock. Since a lot of the supplies needed in each truck overlap, they only brought one trolley out. Buck and Hen are in the vehicles, taking inventory, checking dates on perishables. - Sadly enough, even though IV fluid bags last almost a month before they expire, they rarely get even near that long a stay in the trucks before they get some use. - Meanwhile, Eddie and Chim are doing the back and forth to the trolley to supply whatever Hen and Buck call out for. Eddie has been, inch by inch, tugging the trolley closer to himself and Buck. Chim noticed, pretended not to, and tugged the trolley back further than halfway to the other side. Naturally, Eddie did just the same.

So now, much to Buck’s bewildered amusement, the two men are engaged in a childish battle that they _refuse to acknowledge_.

“And done.” Buck ticks off one last item on the sheet with a flourish.

Eddie makes a small celebratory fist at that, and grins up. “Time for a coffee break?”

“Yes, _please_ ,” Buck calls as he swings himself down and off the back of the truck. Their combined movement, Buck jumping out and Eddie walking towards him, carries them into each other’s space. Just as he lets go of the firetruck, Buck finds himself having to fight his momentum or he’ll barrel into Eddie. Instead, he stills, face to face with him, nearly a perfect parallel mirror to his body, except half a step to the side. And it throws him into a memory from this morning.

He’s feeling more awake, now, post shower. Eddie’s guest room is fine, but Buck’s mattress at home is _new_. He pulls on fresh jeans and yawns, longing for a shot of caffeine. He left his tee and over shirt on the bed, to avoid having them in the small bathroom with him as he steamed it up. There’s nothing he hates more in the morning than putting on slightly damp clothes. Perhaps it’s psychological. Or maybe it’s his own skin that’s damp, even after toweling off, and by the time he usually pulls his clothes on, this way, he’s actually dry. Anyway. It’s a comfort thing. A habit. The point is, he’s glad Eddie doesn’t mind him walking around topless around Chris, outside of the context of the beach or sunbathing. To be fair, when he opens the bathroom door, Eddie’s standing there in nothing but low slung sweat pants, eyes half mast and a fantastic case of bed hair. 

It goes like this: Chris in the morning? Grumpy, bleary. Buck in the morning? Good mood, but not totally logged on just yet. Has to stop and wonder what he was doing or what he opened the drawer for, at minimum, once every morning. Eddie? Looks ten years younger. Rumbled. Adorable.

As Buck halts his step so he doesn't ram his shoulder into Eddie's, he's met with a soft gaze and a sleepy smile. “You done?”

“All yours.”

“Great,” he says. “Christopher’s up. Dressed.” He raises an eyebrow at Buck, because he knows him well. “Coffee’s ready.”

“You are _perfect_ ,” Buck mumbles, leaning forward to press his lips to Eddie’s. “I’ve got breakfast. Go.”

He…

This morning, _he kissed Eddie?!_ What the actual fuck?! How… what?

He stares, wide eyed and mouth agape, at Eddie. Because he’s doing so, he can see as understanding dawns on the man. “You didn’t even _remember_ _!”_ Eddie hisses, offended, one accusing finger poking Buck in the chest.

Buck’s jaw works. His mind starts and stalls on several things he could say. Eventually what comes out is, “...no?” and “.... _how?!_ ”

“Why are you asking _me?!_ " Eddie glares. " _I_ remember!”

“I... didn't mean to?” Buck says. Because... well, _clearly_ . He didn’t even _think_ it, apparently. Woah, pre coffee Buck is even more of a mess than he thought.

This, somehow, seems to have vexed Eddie further. He’s looking back at him with a flat stare. “.... what. You tripped?”

“No. I... reflex?”

Well. The half smiles and warm looks of earlier in the day are definitely gone. “Wow. Gee. Thanks.”

Buck panics. Because this isn’t how this is supposed to go. “No. I.... I didn't mean to _do_ it,” he elaborates, catching Eddie’s shoulder before he turns away. “I meant it, though.”

Eddie’s looking at him cautiously now. 

Oh.

 _That’s_ what it had been, all that time. What Buck couldn’t place. The new thing he’d never seen before. It was: Eddie, _unguarded_.

It obviously isn't the case anymore, in the way Eddie lifts his chin and narrows his eyes. “What does that mean?”

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_. Words. The _right_ words. He’s got one shot at phrasing this right. “That, uh, I clearly had this reflex around you because it makes sense to me. Instinctively.” He fumbles. “Physically, I guess? Like a… like a habit?” he says. “Because it feels natural.”

“... It does?”

“Did it?” Buck counters. Because, well, he’s clearly given himself away enough, today, even though for half of it he had no idea. Maybe he could have some feedback, now.

Eddie just stares back for a while, then eventually some of the tightness around his eyes loosens, and he very nearly smiles. “It did.” 

“I am so confused,” Chim’s remark startles Buck in the middle of his own grin.

“This is a private conversation.”

“This is the main bay of a fire station,” Chim deadpans.

Eddie and Buck look at each other. “Point.”

“Yeah.”

“Later?” Eddie suggests.

“Yeah.”

They both slam the doors to the firetruck and turn to take their business away from Chim’s nose. “Also,” Eddie calls loudly, turning back as he’s walking away. His eyes as narrowed and he's pointing at Buck “we are definitely doing that again." He says it like a claim. Like he's saying he won't let Buck get away with anything else.

Buck watches him go. “Fine!” he shouts back, faux grumpy, and watches the smile bloom wider across Eddie’s face.

Next to him, he can hear Chim mutter to Hen “....what is going on?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Hope you liked my idea! Feel free to let me know what you thought in the comments (creators live off this stuff).
> 
> If you have a tumblr account and would like to come chat, or reblog the story's post, here's the [link](https://original-cypher.tumblr.com/post/645999147064999936/like-a-habit-youcouldhavemine-originalcypher)!


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